iPhone 2.2 OS re-locks (some) legitimately unlocked iPhones
by Jacob Schulman 
posted Dec 3rd 2008 at 12:42PM
Uh oh -- closing holes is all well and good, but it looks like Apple may have closed one too many holes in the iPhone's firmware this time around. In a possible attempt to discourage intrepid iPhone unlockers, it seems like the bigwigs in Cupertino accidentally relocked some legitimately unlocked units. Users in Apple's support forums report have been having mixed results, with some users no worse for the wear and others only able to make emergency calls. So if you've got an unlocked iPhone (and would prefer not to have to ship it to Vietnam) maybe you should resist the urge to hit that update button until this situation gets sorted out. Either way, be sure to sound off in the comments if you've got an unlocked iPhone and have successfully (or unsuccessfully) upgraded.[Via IntoMobile and iPhoneAtlas]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
sLevin1Fo @ Dec 3rd 2008 5:56PM
All these updates on the iPhone is what drove me away from it. You spend a lot of time customizing it and then BAM! New update. You know you want to but with a time consuming price. I hate APPLE!
Aayush @ Dec 5th 2008 11:44AM
Do you something called 'Backup and Restore'?? Check on it...
sLevin @ Dec 5th 2008 12:03PM
O you noobie. Of course I know about Backup and Restore. Im talking about hacks. All your hacks go away. Then you have to wait for someone re-write programs comparable and useable to the new firmware.
Joshua Nelson @ Dec 3rd 2008 1:30PM
After the 2.2 update my iphone was locked and only available to make emergency calls. But all I did was shut it completely off and rebooted and I was fine.
marco arellano @ Dec 3rd 2008 2:05PM
probably your phone wasn't unlock from other countries. I bought 2 from apple hong kong and both now, have 2.2, no problems, still unlock... if they were unlock, i will sue apple!!
phongsta @ Dec 3rd 2008 5:29PM
same exact thing happened to me. shut off and reboot worked fine after it locked me out. weird.
Jharag @ Dec 3rd 2008 3:08PM
That was one major reason I did not buy IPHONE, I went with HTC WM6 device. In my opinion when I pay for something it my property and Apple does not have any rights to lock it. Its like buying a ford with a condition that you will always use exxon if you use shell gas or anything else ford will lock my car. It is WRONG.
Mo @ Dec 4th 2008 11:56AM
well on the ford mustangs... you not allowed to take picture of the car and publish them. i kid you not
Aigor @ Dec 5th 2008 1:35AM
are you serious about the Mustangs? I had no idea.
And about Apple's proprietary approach to products... they're well in their rights to do that. For example, for a lot of cars, if you do maintenance like oil in a place that isn't the dealership, they can void your warranty. The only difference is that Apple's warranty and contract you sign says that you will use it how they want you to use it
celz @ Dec 3rd 2008 9:24PM
yea i agree once your phone is set up you dont want to change it.. i only upload a new rom from ppcgeeks once every 4 or 5 months.. apple should just do a few big releases instead of so many small ones.. I think apple carefully monitors the users complaints about the iphone but so many fashion and everyday users buy the iphone they dont have to address the concerns of power users.. at least until wm is more user friendly and android gets a decent looking device
tweak @ Dec 3rd 2008 9:34PM
If they carefully monitor complaints, why is there still no damn copy/paste?!
Maikel @ Dec 3rd 2008 6:56PM
The same thing happened to me. But it's with my 1st gen iPhone which I no longer use; wanna sell it. But I did mine with the pwnage tool.
TRiNiHiTMAN47 @ Dec 4th 2008 11:47AM
email me at trinihitman47@aim.com if u wanna seLL it =)
Rocky SC @ Dec 3rd 2008 8:17PM
So far so good for me. I'll keep the phone, even with all the updates and the problems that come with it.
Personally, I've found almost no electronic devices of any kind that don't have some kind of problem. My iMac has worked flawlessly which is what drove me to get the iPhone in the first place. Having converted from Windows XP Pro (my first system, in 1986, ran DOS on a brand new AT&T PC6300), I've seen it all.
Things could be worse: I could be writing this on an old monochrome monitor; uploading through a 9600bd modem; and printing the output on an Okidata printer that weighs more than I do. I don't expect the iPhone to jump through hoops for me. That's what I got the iMac for. We shall se if either can meet my lowered expectations.
Ben @ Dec 3rd 2008 10:42PM
I have a 16gb white unlocked, upgraded, and still unlocked. Lucky me I guess. In case it re-lock its self, what should you do? Genius bar? Doubt it...
TroyG @ Dec 6th 2008 8:45PM
Actually, not sure about the rest of the world, but the Genius Bar's in Australia are quite used to phones being unlocked. When I brought mine in to get it replaced for a separate issue, he pulled up the serial number and said "oh, your phone is unlocked - cool, we'll make sure we do that to your new one too".
Of course your milage may vary...